Infant safety

Here you'll read important ways to keep your baby safe from injury, disease, and other conditions that can threaten health.

• Car safety seats are required by law.
• Safe sleeping: Ways to protect your baby against SIDS.
• Immunizations are important for protecting against childhood disease.
• Lead poisoning is a serious condition that can be prevented.

Car safety seats
The law requires your baby to be secured in a safety seat when traveling by car. Proper use of infant safety seats can prevent serious injury in a car accident. Be sure you have a car seat that meets federal safety standards.

• Place the infant seat facing rearward in the back seat.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions to hold the seat securely in place.
• Use the seat for every trip, no matter how short.

Safe sleeping
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained death of a child younger than 1 year. The greatest risk for SIDS is at 2 to 4 months, before the baby can roll over on its own. It's not known exactly what causes SIDS but there are things you can do to prevent it.

• Always put your baby on her back to sleep.
• Use a firm mattress in a safety-approved crib.
• Keep soft, loose bedding and stuffed toys out of the crib.
• Dress baby in sleep clothes instead of using blankets. If you do use a blanket, keep it away from baby's head and mouth. Make sure it is tucked in firmly on all three sides.

Immunizations
Your baby needs immunizations (shots) to protect against serious diseases. Childhood vaccination is proven to be the safest and most effective way to prevent against:

• Diphtheria
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Tetanus
• Measles
• Rubella
• Mumps
• Varicella (Chicken Pox)
• Polio
• Pneumococcal Disease
• Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib)

For babies, immunizations begin at birth and continue on this schedule until age 2:

• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 12-15 months

Your doctor will give you an immunization record to bring along each time you take your baby for shots.

Immunizations continue when your child reaches about age 4. Children must have their shots up-to-date to enroll in nursery school, day care, preschool, headstart programs and public or private school.

Preventing lead poisoning
Lead poisoning can cause health and behavior problems that last a lifetime. Lead dust and lead paint are the most common sources of this danger and are most often found in homes built before 1978.

Babies and young children are at risk when they put their hands in their mouths or chew on toys that have come into contact with lead dust. You can't smell or taste lead but you can protect your children from lead poisoning if you live where lead is found.

• Have children tested even if they seem healthy.
• Clean dust from surfaces like window frames and sills weekly.
• Wash toys, pacifiers and other objects that fall on the floor.
• Don't let children chew on anything covered with lead paint.
• Don't remove lead paint yourself. It must be removed and the area cleaned thoroughly by professionals while nobody is living in the home.
• If you work around lead, change and shower before going home.
• Have your water tested. If there is lead in your plumbing, use only cold water for drinking and cooking. Let water run 15-30 seconds before using.
• Eat a well-balanced diet. Children with enough calcium and protein in their diets will absorb less lead.
• Don't store food or beverages in pottery or in lead crystal containers.